U.K. JUDGE BLOCKS ASSANGE’S EXTRADITION
A British judge ruled Monday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the United States to face trial on charges of violating the Espionage Act, saying that he would be at extreme risk of suicide.
The decision in the highprofile case grants Assange a major victory against U.S. authorities who charged him over his role in obtaining and publishing secret military and diplomatic documents related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Rights groups and advocates applauded the ruling, but many expressed concern about its rationale.
The judge focused on Assange’s mental health issues but rejected the defense argument that the charges were an attack on press freedom and were politically motivated.
Assange, 49, who was present at Monday’s hearing and wearing a face mask, was indicted in 2019 on 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act and conspiring to hack government computers in 2010 and 2011.
If found guilty on all counts, he could face a sentence of up to 175 years in prison.
The ruling Monday at the Central Criminal Court in London, known as the Old Bailey, was a major turning point in a legal struggle that has lasted nearly a decade. But that battle is likely to drag on, as U.S. prosecutors indicated they would appeal. They have two weeks to do so.
A crowd of supporters outside the court erupted in cheers when the verdict was delivered.
Stella Moris, Assange’s partner, said that while she was pleased that the extradition request had been rejected, the charges had not been dropped. She called on President Donald Trump to “end this now.”
In a statement, the Justice Department said it was “extremely disappointed” by the decision but “gratified that the United States prevailed on every point of law raised,” and noted that it would still seek to extradite Assange.